Sharing the recipe for global success

How does an Amritsar boy go on to become one of the world's most successful chefs? Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna's life story has many more stories hidden in it. No wonder then that a biopic on him is in the works. It will not only chronicle his early years as an immigrant in the US, but also depict how he fought racism to climb through the ranks in the American culinary scene.

The restaurateur-filmmaker, who has taken Indian cuisine to the world, has an affinity for stories about overcoming adversities. "Rising beyond expectations, beyond any safety belts is the most important thing for me. I feel such stories create more empathy and hope. I'm not allowed to comment on the biopic. But I'm honoured that a [film] is being made on my journey because as an Indian chef breaking so many norms globally, [it] has been a defining force. [It's not only] as an artiste living in America, but also as somebody who has refused to accept the preconceived notions of being a coloured chef in the USA," he says, refusing to divulge details about the banner behind the project.

Does he have a wish-list of actors who could play him on the big screen? "I'd look forward to Ranbir Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui or Vicky Kaushal playing me. They have such intensity to them," says Khanna, who is currently championing the short film, Pinky Ka Bastaa. "After the pandemic, many girls didn't go back to school. The film [explores] how a gap in education leads to bigger disparities in later years."